Because we live in the “Age of Reason” – we are inclined to approach everything with a “prove it to me” attitude. Although God is fully capable of proving Himself to mankind, His Word tells us to “walk by faith and not by sight.” Our post-modern age is filled with subliminal messages aimed at convincing us that there is no absolute truth, we are the final authority in our own lives, and thus must take care of #1 first and foremost.
Yet, God says, He is the Way, He is the Truth and His way is life. He also says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He is the same God who knew Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, who saw Joseph was a stranger in a foreign land, and who made a way for him that was beyond anything Joseph could have imagined.
He is the same God who kept His truth alive during the oppression of the Dark Ages.
He is the same God who helped a rag tag band of Patriots defeat a world empire and establish our United States.
He is the same God who sustained Corrie Ten Boom during her time in a concentration camp and later in a world wide ministry that lasted well into her advanced years.
His promises are as valid for us today as they were for each and every person who has relied on them through the ages. No matter the circumstances surrounding us in our community, in our state, in our nation, and in our world, God clearly states in His word that He will give us strength and peace, keep our footsteps from slipping and help us in the day of trouble, deliver us from our enemies, hold us up with His right hand, and so much more.
God also states over and over in His Word that He will not forsake those that put their trust in Him and that He will not fail us.
God works in the lives of individual people to facilitate His plans. Recently, I read this in an excerpt from Tony Blair’s new memoir A Journey, My Political Life. Following are his exact words:
When I was 10, my father, just 40, suffered a severe stroke and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors were uncertain if he would survive. My mother, trying to keep a sense of normalcy for her children, sent us to school that morning.
To provide comfort to a frightened, bewildered boy, the head teacher, who was ordained, suggested that he and I kneel and pray for my father’s recovery. I knew this was not as straightforward as he thought, and I plucked up my courage to whisper, “I’m afraid my father doesn’t believe in God.”
My teacher’s reply was to make a lasting impression on me. “That doesn’t matter,” the man said, “God believes in him. He loves him without demanding or needing love in return.”
My father ended up making a good recovery after a long rehabilitation. Nearly 50 years later, he remains an atheist. And while I did not become a fully committed and practicing Christian overnight, that conversation with my teacher started the process . . . and faith has become a constant in my life. That is the moment when faith became something personal to me. [End Quote]
Our great God reached down through time and space and found the heart of a young, frightened boy and brought that boy to Himself. That boy eventually became prime minister of Great Britain for 10 years; a leader on the world stage who states, “I always say that no matter the company, I remain a Christian.” God works in ways we cannot see.
On a personal level, in my early 30's my life was completely shattered and I became a single mom to my two boys and daughter. We experienced many struggles After eight years, I began to feel hopeless that I would find someone to share life with me. I so clearly remember singing the song, “God Will Make a Way” with our church choir and feeling God’s powerful reassurance that He had a plan for me, that He was working in ways I could not see.
The irony is, a man named Steve was singing in that same choir, but at the time, we were just passing acquaintances. In God’s inimitable way, He tossed us together and as they say, the rest is history. We have been married now for over 13 years. Steve has brought blessing upon blessing to me and my family . . . in ways I could not see on that day I felt so very discouraged.
One of my favorite things to hear is when Steve prays, “Thank you Lord for the blessings that you are working on for us behind the scenes.” What a wonder, the God of the universe at work on our behalf. As we sing, “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way; He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me,” let’s remember just what those statements mean to us.
